Login

Cecilia Aguilera: Squatting Deep and Asking Questions

Cecilia found the world of bodybuilding in 2012 and after hitting her short term goal she got bit by the bug. Getting after it and aggressively attacking leg days, Cecilia has been able to make huge strides in her fitness career. The furtue is looking bright for this young lady as she only will get better with her training.

How old are you, where are you from, and do you squat ass to grass? I’m 25 years old (actually almost 26 on May 3rd) and I’m from Mexico City. And definitely yes, I squat ass to the grass because it’s the only way I could get my skinny body to gain the curves I have now. Anyone out there who have a hard time growing some booty and legs, let me tell you that you better start keeping your weights high and your squats low.

What areas of weight training do you train (bodybuilding, powerlifting, CrossFit, etc…) And what is your best squat? Contest (if you have) and gym PR? I started weightlifting 3 years ago, but it was only 2 years ago that I actually started doing it the right way. You know I started as a cardio bunny at first, until I started to try weights and discover the infinite benefits of it. Last year I had my very first competition for the Bikini Division and I won 2nd place overall. It was really satisfying, but I decided to go a different way because I liked a bigger body for myself. Therefore, I took this year off from competing and started to readjust my nutrition and workout program to gain as much muscle mass as I could. I have gained almost 18 pounds so far— this is huge to me since I’m ectomorph and I have a hard time gaining a significant amount of weight.

When I started I squat with a 20 lb barbell, now my best is 190 lb. I believe that patience and consistency is EVERYTHING when it comes to the body. Patience to see the real change in your body and consistency to make it happen.

Where do you train? Do you have a lifting team or partner? I always train at the gym (Energy Fitness WTC in Mexico City). I’m the type of people that need to get out of home to get my workout done. I mean, I don’t have anything against home workouts, but I just can’t. I see my bed and It kinda seduces me lol. Therefore, I GET OUT AND RUN TO THE GYM.

I definitely have made a lot of friends at the gym— I mean, I go every night, and I see them every day, so they’ve become part of my life. I Like to train by myself when it comes to the upper body, I think a get to focus a lot more. This doesn’t mean that I don’t ask for help when needed. And the lower body is a whole different story. I definitely need a spotter because I go heavy with the weights. It’s always good to have a friend that supervises your form and technique to prevent any possible injury. Besides, on leg day, my energy has to be on top, and a partner guarantees that you’ll be motivated to do your best, and to hit that last rep without excuse.

Since I’m not competing anymore, I don’t belong to a “serious” team. But if you ask me…my gym friends are definitely my team, we’re always supporting each other with tips, advice, or new routines…more than being competitive, I would say we challenge each other in a really positive way.

How did you into bodybuilding? Well, on 2012 I got back from studying in France for almost a year. I got back home with 25 extra pounds of weight so I just wanted to get skinny again, as I used to. And I did, I lost 20 pounds really easy, but I wasn’t happy with my body either, so I kinda struggled a few months to discover what I wanted to look like and trying different things: yoga, pilates, weights, functional training, etc. Finally, I started to read more about my body type— I’m ectomorph, so gaining muscle is not so easy for me— and I figured out what kind of workout and diet plan I should follow, and the “addiction” started. Saw the results, and I kept wanting much more…and after 4 years, here I am, still in love with weights lol.

What does a normal leg day workout look like for you? I eat a lot all the time, but on leg day I eat a lot more— it’s always pancake day, usually. I eat a lot of carbs on that day to have the energy I need to have a killer workout. I focus one day on quads, and another day on mammies and glutes, otherwise I die if I do both. I start with the compound exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, and then I go with few isolated exercises. I try to increase the weight every couple weeks, and that has worked pretty well for me. The more I can lift, the more I grow my legs and booty.

So what’s next for you? Any goals you have to hit? (short and long term)? In the short term, I’m looking forward to having a six pack, without losing muscle. I’ve been shredded for the past year, but not enough to show the six pack I want because I’m afraid to lose my gains. And in the long term, I want to get to 60 kg of weight (132 lb), as lean as I can. I’m getting better at it— when you’ve tried so many things in your body, you finally get to understand how it works and to use every aspect of it in your favor.

When you lift heavy, when was the first time you out lifted a guy? And what do your non-lifter friends think about what you do? Even though I’m not the big type of body, I’m really strong when it comes to my legs. It’s funny when another guy and I are using the same machine, like the Smith, because the assume I lift less than they do, and they start to take off the weights, but I interrupt them and say “Don’t worry! I lift more than that so you can leave them there :)”. Some of them get a little bit ashamed, and it’s funny.

Half of my friends are non-lifters, and at first, the hardly understand my lifestyle, but now they totally respect it and are always asking for tips. I enjoy sharing information with them because I believe that non-lifters would like to lift if they only knew all the benefits this discipline has to offer.

What do you tell women who think lifting heavy makes you look “manly”? I would say that’s total bullshit! I’ve never felt so happy, confident, sexy and strong in my own skin. I don’t consider myself as “manly”, I would change that word to “strong”— yes, I look strong and I’M STRONG. I think this belief is fed by wrong information. I mean, I completely understand that some of us like a bigger body or leaner, or smaller, or some are just looking for a flat belly, and lifting heavy can do all that for you, with the right plan. So I would suggest these women to TRY!

Anything you would like to tell the younger lifters? and/or anything else you would like to add? If there’s anything I’ve learned it is that a transformation and a real change is not achieved overnight. It can take months for the progress to occur and for you to see it clearly. The truth is that sometimes this process is not helped by modern society. We want it all easy, and we want it right now. When it comes to your body, you get the fitness, strength and the results you deserve. Nothing more and nothing less. It is an investment of time, money, discipline, and energy. And along the way, you must learn to work on your patience. You can have the best coach in the world, the best diet, the best routine, but if you do not understand that it is a process that takes time, if you are not consistent and patient with your body, you’ll get nowhere but lost in frustration. A person who is patient will face the challenge, despite the “problems” encountered along the way. And trust me, the results are worth it! Patience is more than a virtue, it is a powerful weapon. Use it to your advantage! 💜